Perhaps that's what is so charming about "Reel to Real: 25 Years of Celebrity Interviews" ($16.95, Badger Books). Contrary to its title, authors David Fantle and Tom Johnson didn't want to uncover Fred Astaire's soul in an afternoon; they just wanted to tap dance with him a little.

In their late teens, St. Paul natives Fantle and Thomas became obsessed with the Golden Age of Hollywood--even renting old prints to show to a circuit of retirement home audiences.

In college, they conducted entertainment interviews for their student newspaper, Minnesota Daily--and later, in 1994, fed a self-syndicated interview column called "Reel to Real" to niche publications and airline magazines. Their 25-year careers allowed them access to the homes, hotel rooms and workplaces of Hollywood luminaries (Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, James Cagney) and 60-watt stars from vaudeville and television (Ray Bolger, Ted Knight and Henry Winker).

The sheer breadth of their interviewee list is amazing, although the book has an "everything but the kitchen sink feel" (especially when the time hook for William Shatner's interview is his role in "Miss Congeniality").

There aren't many hardball questions here, but Fantle and Thomas weren't after scandal or psyche-probing revelations--just some time with their idols and a few choice anecdotes. When they're lucky (as when they virtually kidnapped director Frank Capra), celebrities drop their guard and "Reel to Real" shines.

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David Fantle will sign copies of "Reel to Real" and read from his book 3 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, Old Orchard mall, 34 Old Orchard Center, Skokie. Phone: 847-676-2230.